The Anglo-Saxon name Hamersmith comes from when the family resided in the village of Hammersley, in the county of Staffordshire. The surname Hamersmith was originally derived from the Old English word hamm, which means flat, low-lying land and the Old English word ley, which refers to a wood clearing or grove.

Early Origins of the Hamersmith family

The surname Hamersmith was first found in Staffordshire at Hammersley, "a locality probably to be found in Staffordshire." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) We can find no record of this village today, but there is no doubt some or all of the family came from Staffordshire. By example, the Register of the University of Oxford list Walter Hamersley, in 1610 and William Hamersly in 1617 as both being from Staffordshire[1]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Evidence of the family was also found at Kencott in Oxfordshire. It was here that "the family of Hammersley: the tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1767." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Early History of the Hamersmith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamersmith research.Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1687 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Hamersmith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamersmith Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Hamersmith has been recorded under many different variations, including Hammersley, Hammersly and others.

Early Notables of the Hamersmith family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Hamersmith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hamersmith family to the New World and Oceana

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hamersmith or a variant listed above: Anne Hammersley settled in Virginia in 1732; Edward Hammersley and George arrived in Philadelphia in 1846; T.W. Hammersley arrived in San Francisco in 1852..